Checkstrap



July 7, 1942.

W. l. BULLARD EIAL CHECK STRAP Filed Dec. 12, 1939 Patented July 7, 1942 CIIECKSTRAP W. Irving Bullard, Charlotte, and Latt J. Carter, Kannapolis, N. 0., assignors to E. H. Jacobs Manufacturing Company,

Inc., Danlelson,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 12, 1939, Serial No. 308,776

1 Claim. (01. 139-165) Our present invention is a novel and improved check strap of the type wherein the check strap is made in a continuous circular or oval construction, for use in the operation of looms.

Heretofore, checkstraps for looms have usually been made either as a continuous circle, joined, stitched, scarfed, or otherwise made in circular formation, or were made in straight lengths with the ends looped and secured together to form a proper closed loop in which the picker stick oscillated.

In our present type of continuous circular check strap, we have devised and developed a novel type of the continuous circle or loop check strap, independently of any scarfing, joining, or the like operation, and formed with a combined rubber outer surface and reinforced inner structure, which provides suitable strength and wearresistance. We have also made our present check strap of a novel contour, viz., in a conical or bevelled form, whereby the picker stick, as it is thrust back and forth within the confines of the check strap during shuttle-throwing and shuttle-receiving operations, will engage the entire width of the opposite looped inner portions of the check strap during such oscillations.

This is a most important feature as, heretofore, in closed, circular, or oval check strap structures the picker stick would strike against the top edge portion only of the circular loop and, thus, wear, fray, damage, and destroy the check strap ver quickly.

By our present method of constructing a con-' ical, closed check strap structure, the picker stick engages the entire width of the check strap at the opposite limits of oscillation of the picker stick and, therefore, we have greatly increased the life and usefulness as well as uniformity in the checking operation by means of our conical structure.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. l is a fragmentary side view of our improved conical check strap structure attached to the shuttle box of a typical loom, and illustrating the picker stick in outline;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of our novel and improved conically formed circular check strap.

As shown in Fig. 1, a frame or shuttle box I is illustrated in outline, to which the friction clamps are attached. In this type of check strap it is customary to have friction members on each side so that the entire loop of the check strap is moved,

- stick strikes the same, the friction on the sides pulled, or slid bodily to and fro as the picker of the check strap being adjustable and thus controlling the checking action.

As herein shown in the drawing, we have illustrated a typical type of friction clamping member comprising a bracket 2, secured to the frame 5, having a pair of depending fixed friction members 4 and 5 and an adjustable member 6 arranged between the members 4 and 5, and secured in adjusted position by a bolt 8 fitting in the slot in a projecting arm it formed on the bracket 2, and held therein by a nut l2 as clearly shown. A similar device comprising the fixed members 14 and I6 and the intermediate adjustable member I5 is arranged for the opposite side. The picker stick 20 oscillates between these brackets and friction members, and our improved conical check strap 25 is fitted around the friction members, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

This conical structure for the check strap is, preferably, built upon a cone of suitable diameter and dimensions by applying thereto a series or plurality of reinforcing layers of suitable width for the particular check strap to be built and, preferably, also encased, embedded, or associated with rubber to give elasticity and wear-resistance to the entire check strap structure.

Our present invention, however, is mainly directed to the conical form of a continuous circular check strap independently of the materials of which said conically formed check strap is made.

Preferably, also, our conical check strap is made independently of uniting two ends together by scarfing, stitching, or otherwise, although it is within the scope of our invention to make such a conical check strap, the important and novel feature being that we have devised a continuous circular check strap in conical form so that the contacting surfaces of the picker stick and such parts of the check strap at the opposite ends of the major axes thereof and during the extreme limits of oscillation of the picker stick therein will present a contacting and checking area substantially throughout the entire width of the check strap itself and for a corresponding length, extent, and area on the edge portion of the picker stick, thus decreasing wear on both check strap and picker stick.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, when our novel conical continuous check strap structure is applied to a loom and squeezed into an oblong form by engagement of the friction members, as shown in Fig. 2, our conical check strap automatically assumes a somewhat curved position longitudinally the oscillations of the picker stick within the connnes oi the check strap.

If our conical check strap is made oi a combined textile and rubber, or rubber like, compound and vulcanized into a ilrm wear-resisting structure, the yield accorded thereto in addition to the yielding action, owing to the arc-shaped contour of our conical check strap when formed into an oval with the major and minor axes, still further aids in eflecting the checking action and increases the wear resistance and life of the check strap, eliminating the beating of the back of the picker stick on the upper edge portion, as has heretofore been necessary in ordinary circular check straps.

A further advantage in this type of article where the check strap is slid or moved bodily to and fro between the friction members of tightening one side more than the other, so as to produce a slight shifting of the check strap during the checking actions, also greatly increases 'the life, emciency, and useiulness of our conical check strap as no one edge portion is subject to the blows of the picker stick; but, on the contrary, the entire width of the check strap from the top rim 2. to the bottom rim 21 at each checking operation, with the full area oi the width of the picker stick in engagement therewith, is brought into operation during each picking action.

We claim:

An improved article of manufacture, comprising a check strap of the kind described for use 

